About the show 

“From the moment we’re conceived, something terrible starts to happen … something irreversible … something which will shape our every thought, every feeling, every action…. It’s called aging.” 

How does age shape the way we see the world? What impact does it have on our relationships with others? And how does it influence almost every decision we make? To find out we went in search of New Zealanders aged between 18 and 70, and asked them to be the human guinea pigs in a series of social experiments – so we could assess everything from how they cope under extreme pressure, to their stamina levels when it comes to sex.  

Host Petra Bagust will be joined by our experts in aging, motivation, and psychology: New Zealand’s foremost gerontologist (age and aging) Dr Matthew Parsons; Psychologist Andrea Polzer-Debruyne; and Peter Sheahan a generational expert who has written four books on how to do the impossible – motivate Generation Y (twenty-somethings).  

Over five one-hour programmes, The Perfect Age sets out to discover how age affects our attitude, our chances of success, our brainpower, and how it changes the body. We’ll look at how to defy the odds, and of course answer the biggest question of all … What is the perfect age? But make no mistake, while this series takes a scientific approach, the questions being asked are the ones the average person wants answered.  

Ever wondered why teenagers sleep so much? Why old people can’t handle an ounce of stress? Or why at thirty, you can’t stay out drinking all night, like you used to?  The short answer is we’re just acting our age.  So while you may think you’re a true individual, chances are you’re just a product of the times. Then again, maybe it’s all just psychological!  

Like anything that affects the human condition, it’s a case of nature versus nurture. Our physical development, and eventually decay, has a profound affect on who we are, but then again so does the year in which we were born. That’s right, we’re talking the generation game. Every one of us, like it or not, is a product of the times.  

The Perfect Age is a groundbreaking new series which identifies the impact age and generation have upon our lives, often without us even realising it. The series will challenge stereotypes, and bust many of the myths that surround aging. We’ll also tell you everything from when you’ll reach your physical peak, through to when you’re likely to write that bestselling novel. Hell, we’ll even tell you what percentage of eighty-year olds still have sex twice a week, as we go to extraordinary lengths to answer one question … what is the Perfect Age?